First MHI UEC45LSE Engine Completed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has added a new model, the UEC45LSE with a cylinder bore of 450 mm, to its UEC-LSE Series of two-stroke marine diesel engines. Manufacture of the first UEC45LSE engine has been completed by Akasaka Diesels Limited, a licensee of MHI's UE marine diesel engines, at its Toyoda Factory in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. The UEC45LSE is successor to the company's UEC52LA. MHI will promote the new engine both at home and overseas and is targeting its adoption in handysize bulk carriers of 30 000 to 40 000 gross tonnage. In developing the UEC-LSE engines, MHI said it has focused on further enhancing the reliability of its existing UE engines in order to achieve higher economy and environmental responsiveness while also responding precisely to trends in the maritime market. The company has fully applied its proprietary high-precision analysis tools - in-cylinder combustion, simulations, main bearing analysis, etc. - and 3-dimensional CAD (computer-aided design). During the UEC45LSE's development, MHI worked closely with shipbuilding companiesand its UE licensees in Japan. Fincantieri to Acquire the Manitowoc Marine Group After rumors surfaced last week that The Manitowoc Company, Inc. was negotiating to sell its Marine Group, it was announced today that the company has agreed to sell the stock of its Marine segment to Fincantieri Marine Group Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA (Fincantieri). Lockheed Martin Corporation has agreed to be a minority investor with Fincantieri in the proposed acquisition. The transaction, which is subject to certain closing adjustments, is reportedly an all-cash deal that that is valued at approximately US$120 million and is anticipated to close at the end of 2008. The Boards of Directors of Fincantieri and Manitowoc have approved the terms of the agreement and it is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance from the U.S. antitrust authorities. It will also be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. Manitowoc Marine Group (MMG) is said to be one of the leading mid-sized shipbuilders in the United States for commercial and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. MMG is comprised of two shipyards - Marinette Marine Corporation located in Marinette, Wisconsin, U.S.A. and Bay Shipbuilding Company locacated in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and a topside repair yard in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. The company employs a workforce of nearly 1600 and in fiscal year 2007 generated revenues of approximately US$320 Million, that is expected to increase in fical year 2008. Manitowoc Selling Marine Operations? According to press reports in Europe and the U.S., Manitowoc Co. may be negotiating to sell its marine division, an operation that builds ships, including military vessels. Fincantieri, an Italian company that builds cruise ships, yachts, passenger ferries and diesel engines, is the rumored buyer. Manitowoc builds ships, cranes and ice machines, and had US$4 billion in net sales in 2007. Approximately 81% of the company’s business is from the crane division, 11% from food-service equipment, and 8% from the marine division. CARB Regulation Adopted for Ocean Going Ships The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a regulation that is designed to eliminate 15 tons of diesel exhaust daily from ocean-going vessels. The new measure requires ocean-going vessels within 24 nautical miles of California's coastline to use lower-sulfur marine distillates in their main and auxiliary engines and auxiliary boilers, rather than heavy-fuel oil. About 2000 ocean-going vessels visiting California ports annually are subject to this restriction, according to CARB. The regulation will be implemented in two steps, each requiring lower sulfur content in the fuel- first in 2009 and final in 2012. Both U.S.-flagged and foreign-flagged vessels are subject to the regulation which is the most stringent and comprehensive requirement for marine fuel-use in the world. GE LM2500s for Australian Navy’s LHD Amphibious Ships GE Marine announced that it will supply the Spanish shipbuilder, Navantia, Madrid, with two LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines. The LM2500s will power two new Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious ships. “We are pleased that the Royal Australian Navy has once again selected the reliable LM2500 gas turbine for this next-generation program,” said Brien Bolsinger, general manager of GE Marine, Evendale, Ohio, U.S.A. “Most recently, the RAN also selected a Navantia ship design for its new Air Warfare Destroyers, which have a baseline propulsion system design featuring the LM2500 gas turbines." Rolls-Royce Wins Follow-Up Vessel Order MAN Diesel Engines Ordered by A.P. Moller - Maersk Two European Marine Projects to Use GE Diesel Engines Tognum Profits from Booming OSV Market in Asia Hormuz Clocks 56 Knots Rolls-Royce to Acquire Scandinavian Electric Holding Philadelphia Gear Purchases Majority of GE Marine Gear Product Line Wärtsilä Acquires Global Ship Design Group Vik-Sandvik MTU Power for North Sea Emergency Tugboat GE Logs First Marine Order in Turkey